Means for storing vehicles



P. B. 00L-E.

MEANS F STOBNG VEHICLES.

.aPPLrcn'rxoN man MAY 12', w20.

gw; mem my 117,192@

P. B. COLE. MEANS FOR STORING VEHICLES. APL|CAT|ON FILED MAY I7, 1920.

Patented May 17, 1.9211* i 3, SHEETS- S HEET 2.

APPLICATIONv FILED MAY 17| 1920.

P. B. COLE.

MEANS FUR STORING VEHICLES.

Patented May 17, w21.

Lerares vTio all t may concern:

1 Panino B. poLn, crear/marines, NEBnAsiia. l

MEANS FOB STORING VEHICLES.

Specification oi Letters atent. y

Patenten Majin 192i.

Application'me'a nay 17, ieee. Serial No. 382,093.

Be it known 'thatL Panino' B. COLE, a

I citizen of. the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county ofFurnas' and State of Nebraska, have invented Gertam new. and usefulImprovements in Means for Storin Vehiclesof'which the following is aspec' cation, reference being lhad to the ac- This invention relatescomp'anying drawings, j

to means for storing automobiles or other vehicles, and it=is an objectof the invention. to provide a novel and imr'irovedy arrangement wherebyone ve.-

jhicle may be readily and conveniently `posi` tioned in its place ofstoragev or removed therefrom without molestin any other vehicleslocated in their place o storage.

Another object of the invention is to pro- .vide a novel and/improvedmeans for storing vehicles whereby a maximum number of vehlcles may bearranged or stored within a given space and wherein each of saidvehicles may be readily positioned into 'o1- re-v moved from itsparticular stallI or location in a short period of time and withoutcon-l Another lobject of the invention is to provide a means for storingvehicles which comprises a plurality of stalls, or the like,

'arranged longitudinally at opposite sides of-` 'a trackway, togetherwith a mechanically driven carrier for *ransportin'ga vehicle to itsparticular stall or location for storage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means of this generalcharacter embody aA traveling carrier having a turntable arrangedthereon and upon which a vehicle is adapted to be positioned, togetherwith means to effect automatically a swinging movement of the table ineither direction so that a vehicle mounted thereon may be readilytransported to its stall or place position ofthe carrier C yalong 'thetrack` W?" heV invention consistsv 1n the details ,of

" construction and in the combination and al 'turn-table; Fig. 6. is afragmentary View in elevation-,- illustrating an indicating memberwhereby'.

rangement of the several partsof myiiinf proved means for storingvehicles whereby certaln important advantages are attained and thedevice rendered simpler, lessfexpensive and otherwise more convenientand advantageous for use, as will be hereinaiter' v more fully setforth.

The novel features of my invention hereinafter be definitely claimed. i*

better understood, will now proceed todescribe'the same with referenceto the accom- Panylng drewngsywherein: f

Figure 1 1s a View in. top plan illustrating will f I 1 65 n order thatmv invention may be the a means for storing vehicles constructed inaccordance'with an embodiment of my `invent1on,.a second vposition ofthe vehicle of a diagrammatic character .y

carrier being indicatedlby dotted lines, and.

Y 7.5 Fig. 2 1s a longitudinal ve tical sectional l.

view taken through the structure as illusf trated in Fig.- l` andillustrating certain cletails of' construction as embodied in thepresent inventio'ni4 Fg- 3 Se View ifi bottom plan 'of uit tilrntablemounted upon the carrier; y

Fig. 4 is a View in bottom plan of a car-lrv rier and the arms .wherebythe turn-table play be automatically swung in either direc- Fig. 5 is anenlargedA fragmentary view illustrating in detail tlie mounting 4for thethe* operator may determine a particular 1ocation of the carrier along.the trackway;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional vienTv 4 95 taken through theca'rrier, the turn-table mounted'thereon;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal'view partly in section and partlyin elevation' of the vertical movable memberswhereby tlie requisiteswinging movement is imparted'to the turntable. l

Fig. 9 is a 4fragmentary View partlyy transverse section and partlyinelevation,l

illustrating said members;

Fig. l() is a view 1n top planofsolriewhat' a' diagrammatic character'illustrating they means whereby the'carrier may be. caused to travel'ineitherl direction;

Fig. 11 isafragmentary view-injelevaf 1 L tion-and of a diagrammaticcharacteriillustrating the driving means f or' thznechanism asillustrated in Fig; 1:0;l

iid

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary View in perspective of a rail upon which'theAcarrier travels;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary view in perspective of oneof the railscomprised in a stall or place 'of storage for a vehicle; and

1F ig. 14 vis a fragmentary view in elevation of an indicating mediumadapted to be employed in ,connection with my improvedde# p vice.

As disclosed in the accompanying draw'- ings, Gr'denotes'diagrammatically a garage or other vbuilding structure embodyingthe floor l and the entrance opening 2.

The floor 1 is preferablyrectangular 'in l form with .the -entranceopening 2 posi- Extendinglongitudinally of the loor. 1 and "i 'of allength substantially cao-extensive therewith is atrackway T embodyingthe rails 3 ofva'construction particularly illustrated in Fig. 13., Atopposite sides of the track'- Way are the spaced stalls S with adjacentstalls in relatively close proximity one to the other. As herein.embodied, each of the ,25, stalls S comprises a trackway embodying a".pair of rails 4 in parallelism with each of said rails l, andpreferably of a type illus- `trated in Fig.' 13 wherein the uppersurface .of said rail is provided longitudinallyl 80 thereoi with the'groove or vchannel 5 inf :which vthe Wheel of a vehicle, such as a motor.ear is adapted to travel. rl`he floor l', at aZ 'nt substantially mid lWayloitherails gogthe trackway T, is provided-with a slot 6 extendinglongitudinally of said trackway and through which extends a; bracket orlshoe 7 depending from the marginal portion of a carrier C, herein` dieclosed as vcircular' in form.. Rotatably sup- -v ported bythe carrier Care the grooved wheels'` 8 which ride uponthe rails ci' the I trackway Tand whereby said carrler may be readily. moved in either direction along"t said trackway.

The bracket or shoe 7 is preferably in the form oi" an inverted V withits apex portion operatively connected with an endless inember or'chain9. v The `member or chain 9 is operatively engaged by the sprocket wheel'.50 1Q, or the like, with -a shaft 11 Adisposed transversely Iof thetrackway T and thereA below and'rotatably supported within a pit P'below thev Hoor 1Q The shaft 11 is positiond adjacent the entrance orforward end ofthe trackway T and said endless member v or chain passesaround an idle sprocket 12, or the like, rotatably supported, withinIthe pit P adjacent the opposite or inner end i l of the trackway '17".By requisite movement of the member or chain 9, the arrier C may.

. .be caused to travel as desired .lengthwise-of the track T. f .1 Asiis particularly illustratedwin Fig. 10,'

the shaft 11 at one end poz-ftionfiissupported, as ati-14, for swingingmovement and the neve,

opposite end portion of said shaft has affixed thereto the frictionWheel 15 positioned be tween 'the driving friction wheels 16 adapted torotate inthe same direction so that uponrequisite' adjustment of theshaft 11, the friction'wheel. l5 will be brought into drivencontact witheither of the wheels" 16in ac cordance with the desired directionoftravel ofthe carrierA C.' The 'shaft 11 may be moved or rockedrelative tojthewheel's 16 in any desired manner vbuti Apreferablythrough the medium' of a rod 17 operatively engaged wlth' the `endportion of the shaft'A 11 adjacent theV wheel 15 and which rod' v yleads to and is engaged with a .lever 18 ex-v tioned-substantiallymidway an end thereof. tend\1ng above the floor 1 and preferablyimmediately adjacent the entrance opening 2. It Visto be understood,however, that other means may be employed for reversing the direction oftravel of the shaft 11. f

Each of thedrivingl friction-wheels 16,' as illustrated in Fig. 10, is'mounted upon.

a `shaft 19 -to which is fixed a pulleyv'20. l Coacti'ng with thepulleys-20is ajdnive belt 21 leading from a suitable source of"power,such as anel'ectrical motor cally indicated in Fig.' l, although it istov be understood that anysouree of power for operating the belt 21 maybe employed.

At substantially its axial cententhe carn u V I dlagrammatif rier C hasdisposed therethrough a sleeve or= bushing 22 which constitutes abearing for the trunnion or stub shaftv 23 depending` y *from the axial'center of the turn-table A,

preferably oblong in 'form with its major axis in excess of the diameterof the carrier C and of a Alength to readily permit thepositioningthereon of automobilesor. other vehicles of dii'erent types.The trunnion or stub shaft 23 is of a length to terminatel below thecarrier C but terminates above the floor 1 so that no obstruction isoffered to the requisite travei of the carrier 0.1 The trunnion or stublshaft 23 and the sleeve or; bushing 22 are so constructed to permit theuse of the anti-friction members or ball bearings 24 so that .theturntable A may.

have requisite rotation with a minimum of frictional resistance.

The peripheral portion of the carrier C' is provided with a series ofcircumfereniis tially spaced rollers 25 and'25fvupon whichl the endportions of'the turn-table A' rest or more particularly the arcuatetrack rails 26 secured to 'the under surface of the vtable A. andvwhichtracks are'arranged on aeurve concentric to thetrunnion or shaft 23. Therollers 25a are positioned at quarter points on the carrier C pr larespaced, apart subf stantially u and each lof-therollers 25 islpositioned outwardly of thev adjacent role portion of each of theytrack rails 26 in its outer portion and 'midway of its ends. is pro.-

rs 25 and 'preerablyt'o' aniextent equal to the thickness of a roller25. The central vided with a notch 27 arranged in thepath of travel ofthe rollers 25 but out of the path of travel of the -rollers 25. l/Vh'enthe f longitudinal axis of 'the table A is vdisposed longitudinally ofthe trackway 'il or ina position at right angles thereto, afg. airofdiametrically opposed rollers '25 will seat in the notches 27 wherebysaid .table A is effectively maintained in either ofthese two positions.i The mounting for the rollers 25 is sufficiently loose to permit theseating' of suchl rollers within the notches 27.

Extending longitudinally of the turn-v table is a trackway T embodying'vthe parallel rails-28 spaced apart substantially the same distance astherails 4 embodied 4-in a stall or storage location Sao that whenmovable trips 29, lone' o the longitudinal axis of thetable A isst..right anglesto. the trackway T, the rails 28 of the trackiivay'v T:maybe brought into requisite alinement'withthe rails 4 of a particularstall or storage location S'. f l

At a 'redetermined point inwardly of the "forwar Aend of the trackway Tandbetween the"i"e ils 3 thereof isa' pairbf vertically s'ai'ci tripsbeing positioned at each side of the slot 6., fiThe trips 29 aredisposed through the floor-r1 "and supported for rectilinear movement in`a fixed path by 'thel bearings 30 carried' by the brackets 31. Thebrackets 31 are suitai bly secured tothe under surface of the floor 1and depend therefrom. The inner faces of the'lower portion vof thetrips,29 below the brackets 31 are provided with the racks 32 with eachof which meshes a pinion 33 fixed to a transversely disposed shaft 34.

The .shaft 34 is rotatably supported by the bearings 35 provided at the'lower portions of the brackets 31. One end portin of the, shaft 34 isvprovided with a rock arm 36=to which is operatively engaged a rod 37.The rod 37 iis also" operatively engaged with alever 38, or; the like,positioned/ adjacent the entrance: opening 2 and'aords means .wherebythe shaft 35 may be' rocked to raise or lower the trips 39 as may berequired.

The upper end portions, of each 'of the trips 29 is provided with aroller 39.Y

Fixed to the v lower end portion vof theA vst'ub'shaft or trunnion 23 isthe apex portion lthe 'supplemental arm 42 adapte. to be adrfjiistedlongitudinally of the arm- 41, as the occasions of practice may demand.

In' practice,thecarrier C is 4pt isitioned in` vclose proximity tothe'entrancejopemng 2 tending` in track The automobile or 'othervehicleis then` run upon the trackway T -whereupon the shaft 11 is adjusted tocause the with the trackway T on the table 'A eX-l I a directionlongitudinally ofthe friction wheel 15 to engage a friction wheelliitocause said carrier C to move inwardly along. the trackway.l 'Theshaft 34' is Valso A rocked to raise a trip 29 dependent upon the sideof the trackwayT at which. the4 automobile or 'vehic1e is to be stored.v'As the carrier C travels along the trackway T, y

`the raised Atrip 29 -or more particularly'the vroller 39 carriedthereby will-eontactwith 'an arm 4l ofthe member 40 and as the-80 carrier continues .torotate, the tabler A i. will be caused to- .make4substantially a quarter turn in the roper direction so that i when thecarrier (1 is stoppedbefore the" desired stall or storage location S,the oci vcupant of the vehicle may readily drive-or' move the 'same uponthe rails^28 comprised inl said stall or place of storageS.

In taking amautomobile or-other vehiclel out, the operation issubstantially reverse and it will be understood' that as'the ca'i,V`

rier 'C approaches the entrance opening`2.;

- a raised trip 29 willcontact with thedesired arm41fof member 40 and,willfs'wi'ng the table A in a position whereby the trackway T. of thetable Ai 'is substantially'falined`- with atrackway TV so thatl whenthe' 'carrier C is brought to a stop at thev entrance openin-I'2, thevehicle may readily be run out,

is to be understood that when the trips 10o. l i

29 have their upper ends substantially yhorizontal alinement, said tripsarelina central position, permitting the carrier Cto pass f' l thereoverwithout any movement to the turn-table A. This -is of particularladvantage when it is necessary to impart .a return movement -to thecarrier C to bring tlie saine to a stall or place'of storage S inadvance o'f the trips 29.

--The forward end portion ofthe slot 6, at

-a 4point in close proximity to the entrance opening 2 or particularlywith respect to the levers 18 and 38, is enlarged, as at 42, Vto

provide a sight opening whereby visual-access maybe had to upstanding.plates 43 carried by the upper Stretch of the member enchan); The, sideof the plate 43 facing the operator at the levers l13 and 38 is pro-Ivvided with the identifying characters preferably numerals, which permitthe o p'4 erator to determine when the carrier C has',A reachedthedesired stall or place of-storage S, i The plates 43 are spaced alongthe mem- 4' ber or chain 9 in accordance with thespacingof the stalls'Swith each of saidplates ,provided with characters identifying thelstalls at opposite sides of the trackway Tf identifying characters 45 ofa pair of stalls arranged at opposite sides of the trackway Vand saidvcharacters 44coacting with the T. n is alsov to be understood that the.characters 4:4; of the plates 43 are consecutively arranged reverse tthe arrangement of the 14, and Whichindicator comprises a board` 46adapted to be suitably 'positioned upon a wall of thel garage orbuildingstructure adjacent the entrance' opening 2 and the levers 18 and38. Supported by the-lineart;-

46 for swinging movement is a plurali paddles 47 equal in number to thestal and provided with the complemsntal identiA fying characters 48' onthe o posite faces thereof, each 'of'said paddles d identifying ioneofthe stalls S. The character 4,8. on one side of a-paddle 47 ispreferably of one color with the corresponding character on the oppositeface of a second color.'

Whenall ofthe paddles are swung, as'to leftyshowing characters" 48 ofonecolor, f

that al@ of1`the stalls S are empty. .lien -a stall S is occupied, thecorres 'ngfffpa'ddle is swung to the right stally is shown in alsecondcolor; For example, Fig. 14: indicates that only 'two'stalls areoccupied, namely, .stalls 4 and 19.. When the 4cars are taken out volithe stalls,4

. the corresponding paddles are -returned to of 'storage S.'A

spirit thereof andforA this reasonI do not their position at the left.By thismeans;

the operator at `all times can' readily deterl mine the condition of allthe stalls or places From the foregoin. description, vit is thought tobe obvious t at a means for 'storing automobiles or other vehiclesconstruct- :ed in accordance with my invention isparticularly welladapted for use byreason of *the convenience and facility Withwhich itmay be assembled and operated, and 1t will `also lbe obvious that myinvention 1s' sus ceptible of some change and modification,

. swing the turn-table. f

without departing from the principles and Wish 'to be understood aslimi'tin '.myselto .es 1.5111. combination, a f zafrrier,l meanA for.the precise arrangement and` formation. of

the several ,parts herein .shown 'in carrying out my.y invention inpractice except as here-v inafter'. claimed.L "f 1 r .l l 1 :moving saidcarrier, alturnstable mounted upon the carrier, andrmea-nsositiollled ata.

point along the path of trave; oi the carrier and'coactm'g'with thetable 'to 1mpart turning movementl to the table) f 2.j.In,comb1nat1on, acarrier, means fonf moving saidcarrler 1n opposite dn'ections, a

-turntable,mounted upon the'oal er, and .mea'ns positioned at a pointalong the path of travolti the carrier and ,coacting vvith means beingdependento'n the'travel'of the identifying character 'of such bythecontinued travel of the carrlerswln'gs j thetable in Onedirection.

"ranged,

the table'to impart turning movement tothe table.

3. In combination; a carrier, means for .point along the path of travelof the carrier:-

and eoaoting with the table to impart turning movement to the table,said last named carrier.-

4.111 combination, a carrier, means for movingsaid carrier, a turntablemounted upon the carrier, and means positioned at a point along the pathof travel of the cari rier and'coacting with the table to impartnlturning movement to the table in either direction,

'.j combination, a carrier, means 4for mdtfin'gfsaid carrier, aturntable mounted upon the carrier, and means positioned at' a pointalong thepath of travel of the carrier and coacting with the table toimpart turnl ing movement to the table, said means for moving thecarrier including means to' irldicate the position of the carrier alongits path of travel.

6. In combination, -a carrier, means for f-moving said 1 carrier, aturn-table mounted upon the carrier, means positloned at a point `alongthe. path of travel' of the carriervand cacting with the table to impartturning' movement to "the table, and coactingmeans carried bythe-carrier andtable for normally holding the table against turningmovement.

7. In combination with a carrier, means for vimparting movement theretoalong substantially a fixedv pathof travel, a turn-table superimposedupon the carrier, a trunnion depending from the table and extendingthrough the carrier, an arm secured to the trunnionbelow the carrier, avertically movable member positioned at a point along the path of travelof the carrier, and means for moving said member in opposite directions,said member when raised, being positioned to engage the arm as thecarrier. moves to 8. In combination with a carrier, means superimposedupon the carrier, a trunnion etl depending fromthe table and extendingthrough the carrier, a' pair of diverging arms -xed tothetr'unnion belowthe carrier,

a pair of vertically Vmovable members spaced transversely of' thetpa/th.of travel of the. vcarrier,.andan'sans for moving Asaid members inunisonbutin reverse directions, each of saidmembers, when raised, beingpositioned engageons of th'edivergmg armswhe're'- traveling 'en the'trackway., a turn-table plates movable along ltotale mounted thereon,

movement with espect to I the turn-table is in a .predetermined poen'Lemme l mounte on 'the ezinriemlaninezm for mov- 111g the carrier, saidmeans including means to indicate at a single point 'aiong the tinckwaythe position of the cerier with respect to the fstalls.

10.1n combination, a t'eckway, stalls tion.

12. In 4no'moineftionwith e carrier, means for moving said carrier, a,tnrntebe mountingmovement to the table,

' eretively engaged .with the combination with a' Cerriei, e tui-n` ed'uponlthe 'ceie means to impart turning movementto thetebie, and meanstoindil, lcate the position of the carrier eiong itspeth of travel. I

1 3. in combination with e carrier, means:

for moving saidearrier, a, turntable mounted .uponfthe ceienvmeanstompnrt turnend` means to indicate at a single point the' position ofthe confier along its path'of tiavel. l

le. In Combination with a. carrier,"means for imparting movement theretoalong o substentinilyxed vpath yo travel, a turn-v table mounteduponthecarrier, anarm opl ,movement thereto, and a.

parting tumin into o1' ont of the lpath of member movab e travel of theerm, said member, when in the path of travel of Vthe, erm, engaging salderm es the eerrier moves to syvmgfthe tunntable.

signature.

' PERNO E. COLE.

' i 45 In testimony Whereoi hei'eunto ffix my

